Carnival Rescues, Escapes, Accidents

PANAMA’S Joint Task Force (FTC) was kept at full stretch in the first two days of Carnival as 128, 307 vehicles headed to the interior with 47.929 returning to Panama City by 8 am Monday, Feb,12, leaving a guaranteed bumper to bumper crawl home on Tuesday.

The FTC call center received over 105,000 calls on the weekend.

Security forces are guarding 41 beaches and 9 rivers and in the first two days the National Civil Protection  System (Sinaproc), made 15 rescues in Santa Clara, , Mamoní, Las Mendozas, Punta Chame, Caño de Dolega and Las Lajas. They also attended to  64 people affected by Culecos in Las Tablas, Las Mendozas, Aguadulce and San Miguelito.

Fishermen saved
Two artisanal fishermen were found adrift 5.5 nautical miles south of  Isla La Ensillada, in the province of Chiriqui on Sunday.

The Aeronaval Service transferred a 13-year-old minor with a serious head injury from Chitré to Howard and then by ambulance to hospital for specialized medical attention.

The Unified Emergency Medical Management System (SUME 911) answered  3,526 calls  42 were due to traffic incidents,  firefighter aquatic rescuers attended 8 people injured by stingrays in  Veracruz beach, Panama Oeste.

Arrests and escapes
Two robbery suspects in the La Chorrera jail, took advantage of Carnival to saw through cell bars and escape.

On Sunday the National Police (PN) reported 20 arrests for various crimes, one of for homicide and another for drugs, both in the province Veraguas.

An undocumented foreigner was detained in Herrera and another 18 foreigners with expired documents on the Azuero peninsula.

The National Police Directorate of Traffic Operations reported until Monday 3,117 fines for traffic infractions, including  194 proven impaired and 805 for speeding, and  299 vehicles were towed.

The Maritime Authority (AMP)  fined 6 boats; 2 for not using safety device; 1 for passenger excess; 1 for testing drug positive and 2 for sailing without a departure ticket.